ParentLetter

Dear Students and Parents,

Greetings from your 8th grade English teacher! I am looking forward to getting to know all of you, and to working as a team (student, parent, teacher) to make this year a success! In order to accomplish that goal, I would like each student to read this page with his/her parent, both sign at the bottom, and bring the signed portion to school on the first day. Students in eighth grade English will study many new skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. For this reason, it is imperative that students have mastery of the skills from previous school years. For your convenience, I have listed on the back of this paper some of the basic skills that students are expected to know when they enter eighth grade English. I encourage students to take the summer to review and master these skills so that they are ready for the new material. The course curriculum follows Pennsylvania’s State Standards and will be a continuous preparation for the PSSA tests as well as a foundation for effective communication in all subject areas. Lessons will be taught using many different strategies, and a strong emphasis will be placed on the use of technology in the classroom. Students can begin right now by visiting my webpage at the following link http://mphelps.wikispaces.com. There will be some valuable information listed there that I will update throughout the summer. You can also keep in touch and post some of your own thoughts on my blog at [|http://acmphelps.blogspot.com/] We have a lot to cover, but I plan to have as much fun as possible while we do it! In order for each student to master the skills studied throughout this course, several things will be required from each of us. I expect students to come to class on time everyday, prepared with a notebook, pencil/pen, planner, and a silent reading book. Students are expected to go to lockers between classes and may not be permitted to leave class for materials. Use of the daily planner is required for all students for tracking assignments, grades, and other communications. Every assignment will be posted in my room and on my English web page (www.mphelps.wikispaces.com). If a student is absent from class, he/she should check the wiki space to see what we did and get any missed assignments. All work is expected to be completed correctly, thoroughly and on time. Students are also expected to come to class respectfully and follow school rules and classroom rules. From the parents, I ask for your support, cooperation, and assistance in all areas of the curriculum including your child’s behavior. From me, the teacher, you can expect preparation of lessons, dedication to each child, and a love of education that models life-long learning. Lastly, I am always available for students who need help, or for parents who have concerns or questions. Students can meet with me during homeroom, study halls, or after class. They can email me through my webpage or at my school address. Parents can call me at 867-7700 ext. 4204, or email me at mphelps@acschools.org

I hope to see you all at Parent’s night and throughout the year at school functions!

Sincerely, Mrs. Phelps

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_________________________ _____________________________ student name/signature parent signature

Prerequisites for 8th grade English

Students must be able to identify the 5 basic parts of speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb) and the subject and predicate of a sentence.

Students must also be able to identify, list and/or recite:

common prepositions:

about behind from on toward above below in on top of under across beneath in front of onto underneath after beside inside out of until against between instead of outside up along by into over upon among down like past with around during near since within at except of through without before for off to

helping verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, have, has, had, can, could, do, does, did, will, would, may, might, must,shall, should

linking verbs - am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, seem, appear, look, become, grow, taste, feel, smell, sound, remain, stay

6 kinds of nouns (common, proper, collective, compound, concrete, abstract)

4 types of sentences – (declarative, imperative, exclamatory, interrogative)

common (coordinating) conjunctions – and, or, nor, for, but, so, yet

Lastly, all students are required to have a grade-level appropriate silent reading book with them at all times during their core courses, beginning on the first day of school. It is each student’s responsibility to obtain these books on their own either from home, the public library, or school library. Additionally, I will offer Scholastic book club catalogs on a monthly basis from which students may order.